The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Streptocarpus x hybridus known by the varietal name Marna, formerly named Neptune Blue. The seed parent was Wiesmoor Blue and the pollen parent was Constant Nymph.
The new cultivar includes the large flowers characteristic of Wiesmoor Blue and the constant flowering which is characteristic of Constant Nymph.
The plants are more uniform in shape and more symmetrical than their parentage. The leaves are shorter and more semi-broad as compared to the parentage. The new cultivar is a more prolific bloomer having longer lasting flowers. In addition, the new cultivar is substantially less fertile than its parents with virtually no seed pods present.
The new cultivar was discovered through a breeding program in 1974 in Vaihingen, Federal Republic of Germany; was first asexually reproduced by cuttings in Vaihingen, Federal Republic of Germany; and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings at Oglevee Floral Company in Connellsville, Pa. It has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.
The new cultivar, when grown in a greenhouse in Connellsville, Pa., has a response time of eight weeks from a plantlet (a well rooted young plant in a five centimeter pot) to a flowering plant in a ten centimeter pot.